The Government is poised to introduce a ban on the resale of tickets for live events at inflated prices. This move aims to combat ticket touts and secondary ticketing platforms that frequently resell tickets for several times their original face value.
The Labour manifesto had pledged to provide stronger safeguards against scams and pricing manipulation by touts. These scalpers often use automated bots to purchase tickets in bulk as soon as they are released, subsequently reselling them at significantly inflated prices on secondary ticketing websites.
Initial discussions proposed limiting the resale price to a maximum of 30% above the face value of the ticket. However, recent reports from the Guardian and Financial Times suggest that ministers are leaning towards setting the resale cap at face value, with the possibility of additional fees on top of that amount.
The Government has refrained from commenting on the speculations. This anticipated action, potentially to be announced this Wednesday, comes in response to a campaign by prominent music figures advocating for reduced costs for fans. Notable artists such as Coldplay, Dua Lipa, and Radiohead recently joined forces to urge the Government to fulfill the commitment to capping resale prices.
Renowned musicians like Robert Smith of The Cure, along with New Order, Mark Knopfler, Iron Maiden, PJ Harvey, and Sam Fender, have endorsed a statement calling for a cap to “reestablish trust in the ticketing system” and “promote equitable public access to the arts.”
Various stakeholders, including Which?, FanFair Alliance, O2, the Football Supporters’ Association, and industry bodies representing music and theater, venues, management, and ticket sellers, have also lent their support. Rocio Concha, the director of policy and advocacy at Which?, expressed optimism, stating, “This development is a positive step for music and sports enthusiasts.
“By capping prices at the original face value plus fees, the practice will deter professional touts and ensure genuine fans have access to tickets. “For too long, fans have been exploited by scalpers on secondary platforms, having to pay exorbitant prices to attend performances or sports events they love.
“The Government must heed the collective voice of artists, fans, consumer advocates, and the UK music industry and demonstrate the priority of this price cap by enacting the necessary legislation in the King’s Speech.”
Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of Ticketmaster, has endorsed the proposed ban. In a statement, the company expressed full support for the Government’s initiative to prohibit ticket resale above face value.</